Time Will Tell If Beasley Measures Up To Consensus No. 1 Pick Griffin

IRA WINDERMAN COMMENTARY

At this time last year, it was the merits of Beasley as a potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick ahead of Derrick Rose.

Throughout this past season, after Rose went No. 1 to the Bulls, there was the debate of Beasley being taken No. 2 by the Heat, ahead of O.J. Mayo or even Brook Lopez.

And closer to home, there was the issue of Beasley playing off the bench behind steady-but-unspectacular Heat power forward Udonis Haslem.

Now there is another comparison, one that comes courtesy of Tuesday's NBA Draft lottery:

Beasley vs. Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin, who almost certainly will be taken as the No. 1 overall selection June 25 by the Clippers, winners of Tuesday's random-but-weighted drawing among the league's 14 non-playoff teams.

The past two years, Big 12 forwards served as consolation prizes, Texas' Kevin Durant taken behind Ohio State center Greg Oden in the 2007 draft and then Kansas State's Beasley behind Rose, the Memphis point guard, last year.

This time, though, Griffin stands alone, as a consensus No. 1 overall selection.

While the true NBA evaluation of Griffin vs. Beasley won't come until next season's first Heat-Clippers meeting, there never seems to be a shortage of contrasts when it comes to all things Beasley.

"They're both very talented and very different players," ESPN college analyst Jay Bilas said Tuesday by phone, as he prepared for the network's lottery coverage. "Beasley's more of a natural scorer. I think Griffin is more of a natural athlete and more physically imposing."

While Bilas isn't an NBA general manager, he does get to play one over the next month on TV as a draft analyst.

So if he had to make a choice, which power forward would it be: the Beasley who left Kansas State last year or the Griffin who is headed to this year's top selection.

"I'd lean toward Griffin," he said after a significant pause to build his reasoning, "because he's just so solid. You know what you're going to get. I think with Beasley, he's a little bit more of an emotional player and a little bit more of a wild card. Offensively, perhaps his upside is a little bit higher, but Griffin, I think, is probably a better rebounder and he's just, I think, as a team guy, a little bit more solid."

As an unabashed champion of the college game, Bilas last year downplayed Beasley's playful side and believes it was overstated during his Heat rookie season. Yet, he said, there is no denying it factors into the equation.

"I thought it was overblown last year and a little bit unfair the way it was characterized," he said, "but I think that Griffin probably has a little bit of a better work ethic at this point."

The Heat staff stressed throughout the season that Beasley's work ethic was never an issue. Maturity? Perhaps. But nothing in the gym or on the court.

"The NBA is tough stuff," Bilas said, "and some guys get it earlier than other guys. But if he gets it by his third year, we're all going to forget about his rookie year."

Yet if offensive impact is the ultimate measure, Bilas said Beasley more than measures up to Griffin.

"Griffin is not as polished of an offensive player," he said. "Everything he gets is as a result of power and athleticism. I think Beasley's more polished. He can score in more ways."

The lone time the two met during their brief college careers, an 84-82 Kansas State victory on Jan. 12, 2008, Beasley finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds to Griffin's 27 points and 14 rebounds.

Beasley scored the winning basket that night on a layup with 2.3 seconds to play.